Ford, of Inquirer, wins Eclipse

Bob Ford, a sports columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, has been selected as the winner of the Eclipse Award for writing in the news/commentary category, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Thursday.

Ford was selected by a three-person panel of judges for a column that appeared in the May 8, 2005, edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer titled "Journey to the Winner's Circle Rough for Giacomo's Jockey." The column was about Mike Smith's winning ride in this year's Kentucky Derby after a string of losses in the race and his recovery from a recent injury.

Honorable mention went to Gibson Carothers for a column in the September 2005 issue of Horseplayer magazine titled "The Carrot that Can Save Racing."

Eclipse Awards will be presented to the recipients on Jan. 23 at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, Calif.